Just in time for Father’s Day, the ninth annual Avon Heritage Duct Tape Festival was held last weekend in Avon, Ohio, known as the “Duct Tape Capital of the World.” At the event, duct-tape lovers could find just about any kind of duct-tape creation, including clothing, parade floats, and sculptures. This year’s theme, “Duck Tape on Safari,” celebrated the Duck Tape brand by hosting a scavenger hunt, an arts and crafts tent to create safari gear, a parade and a free animal show by a local animal expert.

Just in time for Father’s Day, the ninth annual Avon Heritage Duct Tape Festival was held last weekend in Avon, Ohio, known as the “Duct Tape Capital of the World.” At the event, duct-tape lovers could find just about any kind of duct-tape creation, including clothing, parade floats, and sculptures. This year’s theme, “Duck Tape on Safari,” celebrated the Duck Tape brand by hosting a scavenger hunt, an arts and crafts tent to create safari gear, a parade and a free animal show by a local animal expert.
Johnsonburg residents and brothers Mallaki and Jesse Tucker attended the festival with their parents, Mike and Mary. The brothers said they enjoyed the event, particularly Mallaki, a budding duct-tape entrepreneur who has created a number of backpacks and other items out of the sticky stuff.
"It was very, very fun," Mallaki said. "I made a wallet."
He said he also liked the duct-tape clothing, which included tuxedos, dresses and safari gear.
His brother, Jesse Tucker, described the festival as "awesome" and said he was most impressed by the pictures made of duct tape.
"That takes a lot of time and a lot of dedication," Jesse said.
Duct tape and dads seem to go together for some reason. Almost everyone remembers their dad using duct tape on something in the home or on the car -- most seem to have a roll stashed somewhere and barely need an excuse to find a use for it.
But is it duct tape or Duck tape? It’s actually both—the original name was “DUCK” and was coined through its original use in the U.S. military during World War II. According to DuckBrand.com, the tape was developed by Johnson and Johnson Permacel Division at the request of the U.S. military, which needed a waterproof tape to prevent moisture from seeping into ammunition cases. It received its name because it repelled water similar to a duck’s back, and military personnel were soon using it for everything from vehicle repairs to securing items to themselves.
The tough stuff developed its other name following the war, according to Jim and Tim, the Duck/Duct Tape Guys (www.octanecreative.com). As all of those troops began returning and reestablishing themselves in civilian life, the housing industry exploded. During that boom, an unnamed person discovered that the tape could be used to join duct work for heating and air conditioning. People then began using the name duct tape, and the color changed from army green to the ubiquitous silver found today.The color range doesn’t stop at gray, however—what the Duck/Duct Tape guys refer to as the “Ultimate Power Tool” now comes in a variety of colors and patterns, and some rolls even feature college logos.

Pick up a copy of the Monday, June 25, 2012 edition of The Ridgway Record for more.